Conservation officers remove animals from TEARS director's home

State Department of Conservation officers today removed several animals from the property of TEARS director Terra Cotromano in west Jefferson County.

Craig Hill, assistant chief in the enforcement section, said conservation officers and sheriff's deputies recovered nine opossums, four geese and a couple of robins that were apparently being kept as pets.

"They didn't seem to have any injuries that they were recovering from," Hill said.

Hill said it is illegal to keep animals from the wild as pets. Cotromano will be charged with one count of holding wildlife in captivity, he said.

The Emergency Animal Rescue Service often responds to animal emergencies to recover injured or mistreated animals.
Robert K. Gordon